Feature Seals & bearings Putting polymer bearings to good use


Specialist in high-performance polymer bearings, igus UK has presented two companies with its manus awards which recognise designers and manufacturers that make use of its plastic bearings in a truly innovative product


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n recognition of the use of a poly- mer sleeve bearing in its luxury Tyligo Premium folding trailer, MBP Concepts has received igus


UK’s Most Eye-Catching Design award. The Tyligo Premium is a multipur- pose folding trailer designed to allow valuable items of equipment – such as motorcycles, quad bikes, kayaks and jet skis – to be safely and securely towed behind a car or other vehicle. In addition to its versatility, strength and reliability, the Tyligo Premium has the benefit of folding to just 700mm wide when not in use, which not only allows it to be easily stored, but also means it can pass through a standard- width house door.


Matthieu Philippault, the inventor of the Tyligo Premium encountered many challenges, including finding the right bearing to use for the critical function of folding and opening the trailer by sliding the front bracket on the main stainless steel beam. Key requirements were that the bearing should combine high load bearing capacity with long life, small size and minimal maintenance requirements. It was also necessary that it should be capable of operating reliably over a wide temperature range, in wet and dry conditions, and it should be impervious to the effects of salt, grit and other contaminants that would be thrown up from the road surface when the trailer was in use. It was decided the iglidur sleeve bear- ing from igus would best meet these requirements. The bearing has the abil- ity to carry a much greater load for the same physical size of bearing. This is thanks to the material’s high compres- sive strength and superior elasticity


properties. iglidur bearings are also said to be cost effective and require no lubri- cation or other maintenance. “The Tyligo folding trailer is a worthy winner of the Most Eye-Catching Design award,” said Matthew Aldridge of igus UK, “as it uses our bearing to perform a key function in a product that is distin- guished by its innovation, performance and versatility.” Tyligo will be ready for retail at the end of this year and will be launched at the MCN Motorcycle Show in 2012.


The Tyligo


Premium folding trailer from MBP Concepts is


designed to allow valuable items to be towed behind a vehicle


igus UK has presented its manus Plastic Bearing Innovation award to Trailerteq, a British engineering com- pany that specialises in the develop- ment of roadside towing equipment. Trailerteq’s compact Rapid Deploy -


ment Transporter (RDT) fits into the back of an ordinary van, but can be deployed in minutes to form a robust and reliable towing trailer for trans- porting vehicles ranging from motor- bikes and cars to small vans. It is, therefore, a popular choice for garages and other organisations involved with vehicle recovery.


During the development of the RDT, however, Trailerteq discovered that the support bearing for the main arm


Trailerteq’s compact Rapid Deployment Transporter (RDT) fits into the back of an ordinary van but can be deployed in minutes


igus UK T: 01604 677240 www.igus.co.uk Enter 320


Condition monitoring of grease in rolling bearings A


new sensor (pictured) has been developed that enables the online condition monitoring of grease in rolling bearings. The sensor is suitable for monitoring critical plant and machinery located in difficult-to-access areas, such as wind turbines and automated assembly lines. Developed by The Schaeffler Group in conjunction with Freudenberg Dichtungs und Schwingungstechnik and lubricants specialist Klüber Lubrication, the new sensor incorporates an electronic evaluation system, which enables the condition of the grease to be monitored while the bearings are operating. The sensor is positioned directly in the rolling bearing immersed in the grease. This is seen as a breakthrough, as the schedule for replacing rolling bearing grease can now be planned into maintenance schedules. Any changes in the condition of the grease are detected early, before any damage is caused to the bearings. The Schaeffler Group


T: 0121 313 5870 24 www.schaeffler.co.uk Enter 321


that links the body of the RDT with the towing vehicle was prone to prema- ture failure. Finite-element analysis confirmed that the phosphor bronze sleeve bearing that was being used could not carry the required load, but space constraints meant that it was impossible to use a larger bearing. Trailerteq’s design engineers discov- ered the igus range of iglidur polymer bearings had high compressive strength coupled with high elasticity, which means, size for size, they have a higher load carrying capacity than conventional metal bearings. In addi- tion, the iglidur bearings require no lubrication or other maintenance, and they are highly resistant to the effects of dirt ingress or other contamination, something that is important for this application, where the bearings are exposed to salt and grit from the road. Calculations showed that not only could an iglidur bearing reliably handle the required loads, it was also possible to use a bearing that was physically smaller than the phosphor- bronze type originally proposed. This meant that additional material would remain in high-stress areas of the RDT structure, making the transporter even more robust and tolerant of tough operating conditions. Practical experi- ence with production units has con- firmed these expectations and no failures have been experienced with the iglidur bearings. “We selected this application for the award because it is an excellent exam- ple of how the use of a polymer bearing can transform the performance of a product, while helping to reduce costs,” says Aldridge.


The igus manus awards is a biennial


plastic bearing design contest which was launched in 2003 and promotes new and original ways of using plastic bearings. Manus, the Latin word for hand, is the symbol for courage and leadership. Today about 300 entries are received for the global awards in 28 countries. The UK award winners are selected from a UK pool of global manus award entries.


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 Factory Equipment


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